An arena where words are dangerous

‘it was a deranged individual living in a time and place where anger and vitriol had reached such a fever pitch that we had dehumanized those in public life’

Political discourse has a tendency to hyperbole. But sometimes people need to think through the logic of their rage. For example, all those people who carried round signs saying ‘Bush=Hitler’ should have considered the implications of what they were saying—who of us would not have thought it right to assassinate Hitler if possible? Equally, those who talk about people being traitors should remember what the traditional punishment for treason is and whether treason is what they are really alleging.  

It seems, as Alex says, that the political views of the alleged killer are, perhaps predictably, an incoherent mess. But that does not excuse those of us who debate in the public square from remembering that words have meaning.